What Can Contouring and Shaping do for Your Teeth?

Posted August 17, 2016.

Did you know that Americans spend more than a million dollars every year on improving the appearance of their smile? Naturally, one reason Americans spend so much on having a perfect smile is that having imperfections in your smile can be embarrassing. To avoid this embarrassment, individuals tend to have crowns or implants placed, have teeth whitening, or even get braces. Still, with so many options available, do you know what you would do for crooked, gapped, or overlapping teeth? We recommend considering dental contouring.

You see, in order for a dentist to contour your teeth, a small amount of enamel will need to be removed. This can be used to change your tooth’s length, shape, and appearance. Generally, this treatment is conservative and used as a cosmetic treatment. Luckily, this treatment can be used to address several issues, including irregularly shaped teeth or teeth with small chips or bulges.

Fortunately, contouring is usually very inexpensive—especially because you will almost never need anesthesia with contouring. Furthermore, this procedure is far less expensive than getting braces of having orthodontic work done. Contouring can also improve the health of your teeth. You see, plaque and tartar may get caught in your imperfections, making it difficult to keep your teeth clean. Sadly, this can lead to gum disease and tooth decay.

Please remember that there are a few things you should know about having your teeth contoured. In order for this treatment to be performed, our dentist will need to remove some of your enamel. As you may know, your enamel is the protective outer layer of your teeth. In other words, if you remove enamel from your teeth, you’ll need to practice good oral hygiene to prevent tooth decay and gum disease.

If you’re interested in learning more, please don’t hesitate to contact our team at Hawkins Family Dentistry by calling us at 740-423-8416. Dr. Lori Hawkins and our team will gladly answer any questions you may have. We look forward to hearing from you soon.